Sunday's sports briefs

Alabama unanimous No. 1 in poll

Alabama is a unanimous No.1 in the college football AP Top 25 poll for the the first time this season, and LSU slipped a spot again after another sketchy performance. Now the Tigers are No. 4 behind No. 2 Oregon and No. 3 Florida State.

With Stanford the lone team in the top 19 to lose, the top of the rankings had only some relatively minor shuffling Sunday.

That will change next week, when five games feature matchups of ranked teams, including three with both teams ranked between Nos. 5-11.

NHL, players meet 3rd straight day

NEW YORK - The NHL and the players' association met for a third straight day Sunday, and again avoided the troublesome money issues that are fueling the ongoing lockout.

There is no timetable for talks to resume, but Tuesday is a possibility.

The entire preseason slate of games was canceled by the NHL on Thursday, and regular-season games - scheduled to begin Oct. 11 - could soon be called off, too.

Braves, Medlen make history

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Braves won for a major league record 23rd straight time in games started by Kris Medlen, beating the New York Mets, 6-2, on Sunday as a sellout crowd cheered Chipper Jones' every move in his final regular-season game at home.

Medlen (10-1) gave up one unearned run and three hits in six innings, adding to his momentum heading into the postseason.

Jones had a single and two walks.

Pirates losers for 20th straight season

PITTSBURGH The Pittsburgh Pirates ensured they'd finish with a record 20th straight losing season Sunday when they blew a ninth-inning lead in a 4-3 defeat to the Cincinnati Reds.

Pinch-hitter Xavier Paul led off the ninth with a home run off Joel Hanrahan (5-2) and Zack Cozart had a go-head double for Cincinnati.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

Sunday's sports briefs

Alabama is a unanimous No.1 in the college football AP Top 25 poll for the the first time this season, and LSU slipped a spot again after another sketchy performance. Now the Tigers are No. 4 behind